The simple pleasures that we take for granted

27th June 2017

Walking, lounging on a sofa in the evening and sleeping comfortably in bed are all things that we take for granted until back pain stops you from doing them. This is especially poignant after you have worked all your life and are looking forward to a long and active retirement only to have it turned into a daily ordeal. Unfortunately, 68 year old Brian Anderson faced this exact dilemma.

“I’ve always been a very active person enjoying walking, playing squash, tennis and golf, DIY and gardening. Two years ago while playing tennis, I experienced acute pain across the lower back and nervy buzzy pain down the right leg extending into the right foot and toes.”

Brian left it a few months but when there was no change he decided to see a Chiropractor and although treatment helped it was only short term. A subsequent MRI scan showed degenerative discs and a disc bulge. He saw a spinal consultant who advised him that the only course of action was to have steroid injections into the lower back and, if that didn’t work, back surgery.

“I did not want to go down the one way street of surgery with the inherent risks involved and the uncertainty of a successful outcome but wasn’t sure what to do next. By this time, I was extremely limited in the things I was able to do. I couldn’t sit for more than 1/2 hour without pain. Sleeping at night was very difficult. I found myself unable to do the simplest of things like lowering myself into a chair, sitting on a sofa or getting into bed without increasing the pain level. Normal pain killers simply didn’t help at all. I had become very inactive, I cut back on doing anything but the lightest of household tasks. Living with pain becomes very limiting, erodes your confidence to do things and gradually affects your mood.”

About two years after the tennis incident, he discovered IDD Therapy almost by accident. His daughter-in-law mentioned a particular form of back treatment available at the Sussex Back Pain Clinic in Hove and suggested he looked up their website to see if he thought it would help.

He made an appointment with Steve Morris the clinical director, who carried out an in depth analysis of his symptoms and history, followed by a thorough clinical examination. He explained that the IDD therapy his clinic offered had a high rate of success in treating these conditions without the need for surgery. Following this Brian started a six week course of IDD Therapy to mechanically decompress his disc bulge.

“The full course is quite intensive. It is reviewed and monitored regularly by Steve and his excellent team. Personally, it was towards the end of the course before I started to feel a significant improvement and frankly there were times during the treatment when I doubted that it was going to work. Steve and his team re-assured and supported me through these periods of doubt because they were able to relate to what I was experiencing and explain the rehabilitation process in greater depth as the treatment progressed.”

Brian completed the IDD treatment about 3 months ago

“I was at my lowest point and feeling quite depressed about my situation. A week or two after completing the IDD treatment, I was sleeping comfortably at night, swimming, walking a few miles a day and playing tennis, squash and golf again! It’s hard to fully explain just how much my confidence and quality of life have been transformed from the dark months before my treatment began to the way I feel today. IDD Therapy was the life changing solution to my problem and I am so grateful to my daughter-in-law for steering me in the right direction. It has completely turned my life around again.”

For more information and to watch our IDD Therapy patient video, click here.